Vodafone has announced a new partnership with Multiverse which will offer Apprentices the opportunity to become a highly skilled Junior Software Engineer within just 15 months, reducing the time it takes them to be qualified by 68%.
The pilot programme, launched this month with new recruits across Vodafone’s technology division, has been designed as an alternative to university and corporate training and will kick off with a unique three-month full-time intensive “bootcamp” followed by a 12-month work placement.
The new programme follows Vodafone’s previous ‘Digital and Technology Solutions Degree Apprenticeship’, a 36-48 month course delivering a Level 6 degree qualification. It will offer a Level 4 qualification with essential coding skills in 15 months, followed by the option for students to continue their studies to achieve a Level 6 degree should they wish to.
Training will be delivered by Multiverse, a start-up tech company building an outstanding alternative to university and corporate training through apprenticeships. The company trains over 8,000 tech, leadership and digital apprentices at more than 500 companies.
Ahmed El Sayed, Vodafone’s Global Engineering Director & UK Chief Information Officer, said: “Last year we committed to adding nearly 7,000 software engineers to our expanding European-wide technical workforce by 2025. This means adopting a ‘build not buy’ approach, whereby we develop more of our own products and services in-house, to give us more control and help us respond to the needs of our customers more effectively.
This programme is a key part of a broader plan to deliver on that commitment in the UK. Not only will it support building future capability and diverse talent pipelines, but it will also allow us to put a strategic focus on building critical skills at pace and fast-tracking engineers, while increasing the diversity of our technology function.
“Since the introduction of this programme, around 55% of applicants have been women, which is fantastic, and we are looking forward to what we believe will be a very successful partnership with Multiverse”.
Jeremy Duggan, President, Multiverse, said: “Despite being one of the fastest growing and most in-demand skills of today’s economy, software engineers remain in short supply – a gap that traditional graduate hiring cannot plug.
“Forward-thinking companies like Vodafone are growing their hiring pool and building skills in-house through the use of professional apprenticeships. We’re delighted to partner with them on this world-class programme that will not only create career opportunities for young professionals, but will also grow the in-house capabilities of the business.”
